Electrical stimulation therapies are commonly performed on patients to treat various conditions using electrical stimulation devices. Some electrical stimulation therapies involve implanting electrodes in tissue of the patient while other stimulation therapies involve percutaneous stimulation.
One percutaneous stimulation therapy involves the stimulation of the tibial nerve. The tibial nerve is a branch of the sciatic nerve that passes alongside the tibia and into the foot. At the ankle, the tibial nerve is relatively close to the surface of the skin. Stimulation of the tibial nerve can be used to treat urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, and other conditions, as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,735,474 (Loeb et al.) and U.S. Publication No. 2011/0301670 (Gross et al.).
While the percutaneous stimulation therapies, such as some tibial nerve stimulation therapies, avoid the surgical implantation of electrodes, the therapies generally require the presence of a physician or caregiver to administer the treatment. This presents an obstacle that may limit the number of treatments a patient may be able to receive over a period of time.